Watchdog welcomes 'rip-off' inquiry

The Island's travel watchdog has welcomed the findings of an investigation into so-called 'rip-off' charges for debit and credit cards.

TravelWatch says the call for a ban on debit card charges by travel companies is good news for Manx passengers.

A super-complaint by the consumer magazine 'which?' prompted the UK Office of Fair Trading inquiry.

In future, surcharges on credit card bookings must be displayed at an early stage in the booking and must only reflect the extra cost involved.

Some airlines have charged Island travellers on a per person, per flight basis instead of one-charge-per-transaction.

TravelWatch committee member Dick Clague says the outcome of the investigation is encouraging: